Seaway High News

On Tuesday, September 3rd , 2013, Seaway students were welcomed back to school. Some of us were excited and willing to start a new school year, and others not so much.

First thing in the morning, we went to an assembly where Mr. Gardiner welcomed all the students to a new school year and went through all the school rules as well. Mrs. Thompson encouraged all the students to participate in a couple of ice-breaker activities, like: the stretching race, and rubbing the shoulders of the person you were sitting beside. After that we watched a short movie that Mrs. Gilmour made called “Where’s The Staff”. It was a spoof on the idea of coming back to school. Then we watched a slideshow of pictures of the teachers and their families, some of it was really funny.

As the students exited the gym, the teachers helped distribute specially made Seaway pencils to each student. This was a welcome back gift to get us moving in the right direction.

WEB and LINK Leaders were front and center all week. The students participating in the WEB and LINK wore their florescent t-shirts to show the Grade 7’s and Grade 9’s who was there to help them on their first day of school. It was great to see the grade 12’s and grade 10’s have lunch with their buddies, pointing them in the right direction for classes and scheduling surprise visits just to see how they are doing. This is really a great program!

Wednesday, the first cross country tryout was held by Mrs. Henderson and Ms. Mac. There was a great turn out, with some of the regulars and many new faces as well. The kids who showed up to the tryout ran a 3 km run to the Iroquois beach, by the boat houses, by the tennis court and back to Seaway. It was beautiful weather on Wednesday, so it was a perfect day for the cross country tryouts. Thursday the school photos were taken in the gym. Boys’ volleyball and girls’ basketball tryouts are soon as well.

On the September 27th, we are having a Sports Day and Terry Fox walk. On Sports Day the student body can sign up for a morning and afternoon session to participate in one of the variety of sports that are offered.

Last year we had a blast doing kayaking, tennis, cycling, soccer, and many more activities. The teachers are already looking for sports that we would be interested in trying, so if you have any ideas let Mr. Thompson know.

To honour Terry Fox our whole school will walk around the track as many times as we can in the time we are given. We will have music playing outside and a snack stand where everyone can pick up a snack while they are walking the track. From September 23rd to September 27th students can buy paper running shoes that they can decorate and place the name of someone who is or has suffered from cancer who has touched their lives. These shoes will be put up around the halls, and we see if we have enough shoes to make it all around the school in the wallway! All money made by selling these shoes will be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation for cancer research.

Overall, the first week at Seaway was quite busy and successful. It sounds like it’s going to be a fantastic year at Seaway District High School!

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Imagine moving to Ontario from another province and finding out that the costs of your expensive prescription cancer medications aren’t covered in your new home. Even though the Canada Health Act provides for comparable levels of medical care from province to province, the same isn’t true when it comes to expensive life-saving medicines.

Many Canadian families still face catastrophic drug costs (defined as greater than three per cent of net household income), even in provinces where universal coverage exists.

Most provinces have catastrophic drug plans, but each has a different mechanism for determining which drugs are covered. The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) is calling for the development of a national catastrophic drug insurance program to help create a consistent, coordinated approach to coverage across Canada. Joanne Di Nardo, senior manager of public issues for the Ontario division of the CCS, encourages Ontario voters to ask local candidates running in the upcoming provincial election about their level of support on cancer issues.

“A national catastrophic drug insurance program has been an election issue for many years,” says Di Nardo. “Ontario should take a leadership role in partnership with other provinces to encourage the federal government to establish a national catastrophic drug insurance program. Action is needed now to alleviate the gaps and disparities in coverage for cancer drugs that currently exist in Canada.”

There are no agreed-upon standards concerning which drugs should be covered or the out-of-pocket expense required from patients. Each of Canada’s 19 public drug plans, and a variety of private plans, make widely different decisions regarding listings, reimbursement, co-payments and lifetime limits. Therefore, significant disparities exist between provinces and between public and private insurers.

A system of catastrophic drug coverage was promised in the 2004 Health Accord, and, in September 2008, provincial and territorial health ministers issued a statement saying they held ‘a common view that catastrophic drug coverage is as essential to Canadians as physician and hospital coverage.’

“Ontarians are growing increasingly impatient that no action has been taken,” says Di Nardo. “Make sure your local provincial politician knows how you feel about this issue.”

This is a very significant week in the life of the church. Palm or Passion Sunday received its contrasting names from the day’s Gospel-Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem leads to his passion and crucifixion.

Maundy Thursday gets its name from Jesus’ “new commandment” to “love one another” spoken at his Last Supper where he washed the disciples’ feet.

Historically, it can be a time for baptizing and receiving new members and celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

Easter Sunday is celebrated with joy. The message “He is Risen Indeed” turns the events of Holy Week and the story of our own lives into a victory. This day initiates the Easter season’s 50 days.

In these days, we are called to draw closer to God and to one another. We have the assurance that Jesus lived, died and rose again–and can give meaning to our often empty lives.

Good Friday is a dark day. Good Friday is a reminder of our inconstancies, our lack of courage under fire, our willingness to join the crowd rather than stand by our convictions and our friends. It is an accusing finger condemning our weaknesses.

Easter, however, just two days later, is the revelation of the pure love of God for all people. It is the death of fear, the end of despair, the awakening of belief in the goodness of God in spite of the evil of human beings.

May we remember that Holy Week is a precious time, revealing to us once again how very much our Christ loves us.

The resurrection of Jesus lit a flame in the hearts of men and women which has never been extinguished.

It confirms forever the teachings of the man from Nazareth who said, “Because I live, you shall live also. I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”

We are so blessed for Jesus promises us hope, peace, joy, love, light and eternal life in His arms. Our Saviour can bring glory out of darkness and resurrection out of death. And in a few days Jesus will be Risen, He will be Risen Indeed.”

May all of you be touched by the poignancy of Jesus’ death and by the celebration of Easter.

Give thanks for family and friends and count your other blessings.

And know that Jesus cherished us enough to lay His life down for us. We can rejoice always–for we are the precious sons and daughters of the living Lord.

I’m glad I was warned. From the moment we had our first child, friends told us that we’d better make the most of the days our children would be home, for those days fly by all too quickly. How true.

Our oldest child is applying for universities and will soon be moving on and (presumably) moving out. Our second child isn’t far behind. Wow. Childhood is as brief as they say.

It reminds me of a story about author Arthur Gordon that I heard and that has also helped me over the years. Here’s what he wrote: “When I was around 13 and my brother was 10, Father promised to take us to the circus. But at lunch there was a phone call. Some urgent business required his attention downtown. My brother and I braced ourselves for the disappointment. Then we heard him say, “No, I won’t be down. It will have to wait.” When he came back to the table, Mother smiled and said, “The circus keeps coming back, you know.” “I know,” said Father, “but childhood doesn’t.””

Obviously, Arthur Gordon’s dad was sensitive to how fast children grow up. But more importantly he understood two things. He knew that his kids were to be his priority for those short years that they’re home.

I don’t know anything about Gordon’s dad, what he did for a living, how busy a man he was, but he knew that more important than his work or anything else were his kids. Smart man he.

The other thing that Arthur Gordon’s dad understood that’s so important is that being a good parent takes sacrifice. He was willing to sacrifice work, maybe even some income for the well-being of his kids.

There’s no way around the fact that good parenting takes sacrifices. It may be work or income. It may be having all the toys or hanging around with the boys.

There are simply too many demands on our time so the only way our kids will get the love and nurture they need is if we’re willing to let stuff go.

As I look around South Dundas, I’m convinced that many families get what Arthur Gordon’s dad got. The importance of family. The importance of parents having loving and close relationships with their kids. I see it all around my neighbourhood. You see it at the hockey arena or soccer field.

We’re a community that places high value on family, on children, on parenting. It makes for a great place to live.

Yet it breaks my heart to see that this isn’t always the case. It’s painful to see kids not loved as they ought to be, or neglected or worse. It’s sad to see parents too busy with their own lives. Not making their kids their priority; not making the sacrifices called for.

Children are precious. Our love, affirmation, and encouragement affects them for their entire lives. How we raise them and what we teach them will even affect them for eternity, for the life hereafter.

Let me close with a quote from another author, Lisa Wingate: “Your children are the greatest gift God will give to you, and their souls the heaviest responsibility He will place in your hands. Take time with them, teach them to have faith in God. Be a person in whom they can have faith. When you are old, nothing else you’ve done will have mattered as much.”